The Real Reason Chicago Fire Has Paused Production
The One Chicago universe has taken over as one of the most popular television franchises currently on the air. The One Chicago shows have helped their network, NBC, dominate in ratings (via Monsters and Critics). "Chicago Med" brought in 6.81 million viewers during the fall season, leading all shows during their 8/7c time slot. "Chicago PD" dominated their 10/9c spot with 6.54 million. However, it was "Chicago Fire" that had the most success, bringing in a whopping 7.28 million viewers during its time slot.
The "One Chicago" universe is dominating in ratings, but it is clear that one series, in particular, has an especially dedicated fanbase. According to "Showbiz Cheat Sheet," fans have made it clear that they prefer "Chicago Fire" over the other two series, though all three are incredibly successful.
"Chicago Fire" fans were shocked to hear that production on the latest season has been put on hold. Here is the real reason why filming has been halted for the franchise's most popular series.
The production has been paused due to health concerns
It's no surprise that COVID-19 is impacting the entertainment industry yet again. The rise in cases has caused various productions to put their work on hold while cast and crew deal with positive test results. Just this week, we learned that another popular show had to stop its filming process. "NCIS" was put on hold as a cast member tested positive for the virus (per Deadline).
Now, it appears that "Chicago Fire" is dealing with the same issue. According to Variety, production has been halted on the set of the show due to members of the cast and crew coming down with what is likely the new Omicron variant. Someone close to the production team told the publication that they are stopping production "out of an abundance of caution," as case numbers continue to spike around the world.
At the time, filming had just resumed after the holiday break. There is no resume date known yet.